Reminder

This is a noodle I wrote in the span of three hours or so. As I've been practicing with larger arrangements, I'm being reminded again that getting a convincing performance is a lot of work, and the required work and attention to detail multiplies with the number of instruments.

For all the time I spent writing the song itself, I spent much longer adjusting note velocity, duration, and levels across the song. I also threw out a lot of parts from the first draft to simplify the song. I liked those parts a lot when I wrote them, and didn't want to let them go. However, after a few listens, I hardly remembered the parts were ever there, and I liked the song just the same.

There's bits of an unfinished song from years ago that made their way into this one. When I start reusing old themes, I feel a bit discouraged. It's like visiting a salvage yard of my life; a tacit admission that I'm not going to finish that other song. On the other hand, such an admission is cathartic, because I can start to let go of that unfinished past and all of its resentments.

In multiple ways, this song is a lesson in letting go. I still need the reminder.